Wearable body temperature monitoring device and method thereof

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure illustrates a wearable body temperature monitoring device and a method thereof. The wearable body temperature monitoring device includes a hollow shell member and a circuit board. The hollow shell member includes a sensing surface and an outer surface opposite to each other, and the sensing surface is provided with hole. The circuit board is accommodated in the hollow shell member and includes a first side surface corresponding to the sensing surface and a second side surface corresponding to the outer surface. The circuit board is provided with a non-contact temperature sensor, a wireless transmission module, a processing unit, and a battery, and the non-contact temperature sensor is disposed at the first side surface and aligned with the hole of the sensing surface. The wearable body temperature monitoring device can respond the variation of the body temperature in real time when being attached on clothes.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to any reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as itappears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent files orrecords, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of Invention

The present disclosure relates to a body temperature monitoring deviceand method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to anon-contact wearable body temperature monitoring device and methodthereof.

Description of Related Arts

The electronic thermometer is able to quickly and accurately measuretemperature of human body, so the conventional mercury thermometers arereplaced by the electronic thermometers in general family. Theconventional electronic thermometers can be classified into acontact-type sensing thermometer and non-contact-type sensingthermometer. For example, a handheld forehead temperature sensing deviceis a non-contact-type electronic thermometer. The handheld foreheadtemperature sensing device is able to sense the temperature of foreheadwhen the handheld forehead temperature sensing device is spaced apartfrom the forehead by a short distance. However, the user must pressbutton of the handheld forehead temperature sensing device to sense thetemperature, so the handheld forehead temperature sensing device isunsuitable to continuously monitor the body temperatures of infants andyoung children to check whether the body temperatures of infants andyoung children are too high.

There is a contact-type electronic thermometer suitable to continuouslymonitor the body temperature of the infants and young children. Thesensor of the contact-type electronic thermometer must be in directcontact with the skin or directly attached on the skin surface, so theuser must open the infant's outer clothes to attach the contact-typebody temperature sensor on the skin of the body of infant or youngchild, in order to use the contact-type electronic thermometer tomonitor the body temperature of the infant or young child. However, theinfant or young child may be easy to catch cold during the process ofusing the contact body temperature sensor.

Therefore, the present disclosure is to provide a non-contact-typewearable body temperature monitoring device and a method thereof, sothat the operation of continuously monitoring the body temperature ofinfant or young child can be more convenient, and the infant or youngchild can be cared better.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a body temperaturemonitoring device which is able to provide non-contact body temperaturesensing function and wearable convenience, and a method thereof.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a wearable bodytemperature monitoring device and a method, in which use an infraredlight temperature sensor in cooperation with a wave collector, tocontinuously monitor the body temperature.

In order to achieve the objective of the present disclosure, the presentdisclosure provides a wearable body temperature monitoring device. Thewearable body temperature monitoring device includes a hollow shellmember and a circuit board. The hollow shell member includes a sensingsurface and an outer surface which both are two side surfaces oppositeto each other. The sensing surface is provided with a hole. The circuitboard is accommodated in the hollow shell member and includes a firstside surface corresponding in position to the sensing surface and asecond side surface corresponding in position to the outer surface. Thecircuit board also includes a non-contact temperature sensor, a wirelesstransmission module, a processing unit, and a battery. The non-contacttemperature sensor is disposed at the first side surface and alignedwith the hole of the sensing surface.

Preferably, the wearable body temperature monitoring device of thepresent disclosure further includes a wave collector comprising atrumpet-shaped opening, and the wave collector is covered on theinfrared light temperature sensor, to align with the hole of the sensingsurface.

Preferably, the wearable body temperature monitoring device of thepresent disclosure further includes an indicator light disposed at thesecond side surface and exposed out of the outer surface of the hollowshell member.

In order to achieve the objective of the present disclosure, the presentdisclosure further provides a wearable body temperature monitoringmethod including steps of: providing a hollow shell member whichincludes a sensing surface and an outer surface which both are two sidesurfaces opposite to each other, wherein the sensing surface is providedwith a hole; and, providing a circuit board accommodated in the hollowshell member, wherein the circuit board comprises a first side surfacecorresponding in position to the sensing surface and a second sidesurface corresponding in position to the outer surface, and the circuitboard comprises a non-contact temperature sensor, a wirelesstransmission module, a processing unit, and a battery, and thenon-contact temperature sensor is located at the first side surface andaligned with the hole.

Preferably, the method further includes a step of providing a wavecollector including a trumpet-shaped opening, wherein the wave collectoris covered on the infrared light temperature sensor to align with thehole of the sensing surface.

Preferably, the method further includes a step of: providing anindicator light disposed at the second side surface and exposed out ofthe outer surface of the hollow shell member.

According to the wearable body temperature monitoring device and themethod of the present disclosure, the user can continuously monitor thebody temperature of infant or young child without attaching thetemperature sensor on the skin of the infant or young child, therebyimproving the convenience in operation and usage of the temperaturesensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure, operating principle and effects of the present disclosurewill be described in detail by way of various embodiments which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a wearable body temperature monitoringdevice of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wearable body temperature monitoringdevice of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wave collector of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a wearable body temperature monitoringdevice provided with a clip, in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following embodiments of the present disclosure are herein describedin detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawingsshow specific examples of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Itis to be understood that these embodiments are exemplary implementationsand are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the presentdisclosure in any way. Further modifications to the disclosedembodiments, as well as other embodiments, are also included within thescope of the appended claims. These embodiments are provided so thatthis disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys theinventive concept to those skilled in the art. Regarding the drawings,the relative proportions and ratios of elements in the drawings may beexaggerated or diminished in size for the sake of clarity andconvenience. Such arbitrary proportions are only illustrative and notlimiting in any way. The same reference numbers are used in the drawingsand description to refer to the same or like parts.

It is to be understood that, although the terms ‘first’, ‘second’,‘third’, and so on, may be used herein to describe various elements,these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms areused only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from anothercomponent. Thus, a first element discussed herein could be termed asecond element without altering the description of the presentdisclosure. As used herein, the term “or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a wearable bodytemperature monitoring device of the present disclosure. The wearablebody temperature monitoring device includes a hollow shell member 1 anda circuit board 20. Preferably, the hollow shell member 1 is in a flatelliptic shape and includes a sensing surface 3 and an outer surface 4formed on two opposite sides thereof. The sensing surface 3 includes anhole 2. The sensing surface 3 is not limited to be a plane, the ellipticshape of the shell member 1 is able to appear aesthetically appealingand fashionable; alternatively, the sensing surface 3 can be designed tohave a slightly-concave radian, so that the shape of the shell member 1can match a curve of the user's chest, thereby improving the user'scomfort. Furthermore, a soft member 6 can be disposed on an ellipticperimeter between the sensing surface 3 and the outer surface 4 of theshell member 1 and served as an outer periphery part of the shell member1, so as to increase the comfortability for the user to take and use thewearable body temperature monitoring device of the present disclosure.Alternatively, the soft member 6 can be extended to the sensing surface3 to increase the comfortability of the sensing surface 3 in contactwith the skin, but the soft member 6 must avoid the hole 2 of thesensing surface 3 from affecting the body temperature monitoring effectof the device.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the circuit board 20 isaccommodated inside the hollow shell member 1, and includes a first sidesurface 21 disposed correspondingly in position to the sensing surface 3and a second side surface 22 disposed correspondingly in position to theouter surface 4. The circuit board 20 is provided with a non-contacttemperature sensor 13, a wireless transmission module 11, a processingunit 12, an indicator light 14, a power switch 15, and a battery 16disposed on two side surfaces 21 and 22, respectively. Preferably, thenon-contact temperature sensor 13 is disposed on the first side surface21 of the circuit board 20 and aligned with the hole 2 of the sensingsurface 3. Preferably, the non-contact temperature sensor 13 is aninfrared light temperature sensor. The infrared light temperature sensoris covered by the wave collector 17 first, and then aligned with thehole 2 of the sensing surface 3. Preferably, the wireless transmissionmodule 11 and the indicator light 14 are disposed on the second sidesurface 22 of the circuit board 20, so that, through the indicator light14 on the outer surface 4 of the shell member 1, the user can easilyobserve variation of light color of the indicator light 14 whichresponds the monitored body temperature. The power switch 15 can bedisposed on the first side surface 21 or the second side surface 22 ofthe circuit board 20, so as to facilitate the user to press the powerswitch 15 through the sensing surface 3 or the outer surface press ofthe shell member 1. In different embodiment of the present disclosure,the power switch 15 and the indicator light 14 both can be implementedby a switch device having the indicator light, so that the switch devicecan be served as the power switch of the wearable body temperaturemonitoring device of the present disclosure and show the variation ofthe light color corresponding to the monitored body temperature. Inorder to use the wearable body temperature monitoring device of thepresent disclosure, the user can power on the wearable body temperaturemonitoring device first, and place the wearable body temperaturemonitoring device in the pocket of clothes on the to-sensed-body ormount the wearable body temperature monitoring device on a necklacewhich is worn on the chest, and make the sensing surface 3 face towardthe to-be-sensed body, thereby continuously monitoring the variation ofthe body temperature of the user's body.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the circuit board 20 of the wearablebody temperature monitoring device of the present disclosure. The detailof the circuit board 20 will be described in following content.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery 16supplies power to the wearable body temperature monitoring device of thepresent disclosure. The switch 15 is disposed in an electric loopbetween the processing unit 12 and the battery 16, and configured tocontrol the power supply of the battery 16 to the processing unit 12,and the battery 16 then provides power to the wireless transmissionmodule 11, the non-contact temperature sensor 13 and the indicator light14 through the processing unit 12. When the switch 15 controls thebattery 16 to supply power to the processing unit 12, the processingunit 12 controls the indicator light 14 to light, so as to indicate thatthe wearable body temperature monitoring device of the presentdisclosure is powered on and starts to supply power to the non-contacttemperature sensor 13. The indicator light 14 can emit light withvarious colors, and the processing unit 12 controls the variation incolor of the light emitted from the indicator light 14, so as to respondthe monitored body temperature. When the processing unit 12 is suppliedwith power, the processing unit 12 enters a temperature monitoring modeto receive a sensing signal from the non-contact temperature sensor 13and calculate a temperature sensing value, and then determine the lightcolor of the indicator light 14 according to the temperature sensingvalue. In detail, the processing unit 12 converts the sensing signalinto a physical temperature first, and then converts the physicaltemperature into a human body's temperature according to a conversionformula established based on clinical experiment data. Furthermore, theprocessing unit 12 recalculates the temperature sensing value every timeinterval, so that the user can know the variation of the bodytemperature of the to-be-sensed body according to the variation of thelight color of the indicator light 14 continuously corresponding to thevariation of the temperature sensing value. The time interval can be apreset fixed time period.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the switch 15 can be athree-stage device having a power off stage, a power on stage and awireless transmission stage. When the switch 15 is switched to the poweron stage, the processing unit 12 is supplied power to execute thetemperature monitoring mode, and the light color of the indicator light14 can indicate the variation of the body temperature of theto-be-sensed body. When the switch 15 is switched to the wirelesstransmission stage, the processing unit 12 enables the wirelesstransmission module 11 to establish wireless communication with a mobilecommunication device (not shown in figures) through the wirelesstransmission module 11, so as to transmit the calculated temperaturesensing value to the mobile communication device. Furthermore, themobile communication device can execute an application program towirelessly communicate with the device of the present disclosure.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 12 andthe wireless transmission module 11 can be implemented byintegrated-circuit components, respectively. Preferably, the wirelesstransmission module 11 can be a Bluetooth wireless communication module,so that the wearable body temperature monitoring device of the presentdisclosure can wirelessly communicate with a smartphone or a tabletcomputer having Bluetooth wireless communication function, and thesmartphone or the tablet computer can display the variation of the bodytemperature of the to-be-sensed body or output a warning messageindicative of high temperature. Preferably, the processing unit 12 canbe a microcontroller (MCU) including a memory configured to store aprogram instruction set. The microcontroller can execute the programinstruction set to implement the functions of monitoring thetemperature, controlling variation of light color of the indicator light14, and controlling the wireless communication between the wirelesstransmission module 11 and the mobile communication device (not shown infigures). Furthermore, the mobile communication device can execute theapplication program to set the data stored in the wearable bodytemperature monitoring device of the present disclosure; for example,the mobile communication device can set the time interval by which theprocessing unit 12 recalculates the temperature sensing value, so as tochange the response frequency of the mobile communication device or theindicator light 14 for the variation of the to-be-sensed body'stemperature; alternatively, the mobile communication device can remotelyset the switching operation of the device of the present disclosure. Indifferent embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 12and the wireless transmission module 11 can be packaged integrally as asingle integrated-circuit component, such as the dashed line block shownin FIG. 2; for example, the dashed line block can indicate a CPU havingthe wireless transmission function.

Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the perspective view of the wavecollector used in the device of the present disclosure. The wavecollector 17 includes a trumpet-shaped opening. According to anembodiment of the present disclosure, preferably, the non-contacttemperature sensor 13 is an infrared light temperature sensor, and theinfrared light temperature sensor can be disposed on the first sidesurface 21 of the circuit board 20 and covered by the wave collector 17,and the trumpet-shaped opening of the wave collector 17 is aligned withthe hole 2 of the sensing surface 3. The trumpet-shaped opening of thewave collector 17 is useful to improve sensing efficiency of theinfrared light temperature sensor, so that the infrared lighttemperature sensor of the present disclosure is able to accuratelymeasure temperature when the wearable body temperature monitoring deviceof the present disclosure is spaced apart from the to-be-sensed body'sskin by 2 centimeters. Preferably, the wave collector 17 is black.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a wearable bodytemperature monitoring device including a clip, in accordance with thepresent disclosure. The wearable body temperature monitoring device ofthe present disclosure can be placed in pocket of clothes on theto-be-sensed body, or mounted on the necklace which is worn on thechest, and the sensing surface 3 of the shell member 1 faces towards theto-be-sensed body. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, aclip 5 can be disposed on the sensing surface 3 of the shell member 1and configured to clip the wearable body temperature monitoring deviceof the present disclosure on the clothes worn on the to-be-sensed body,and make the sensing surface 3 of the shell member 1 face towards theto-be-sensed body. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the hole 2 of the sensing surface 3 of the shell member 1can be extended inwardly by a depth to form a trumpet-shaped openingaligned with the non-contact temperature sensor 13. The trumpet-shapedopening of the hole 2 can improve the sensing efficiency of the infraredlight temperature sensor.

The present disclosure disclosed herein has been described by means ofspecific embodiments. However, numerous modifications, variations andenhancements can be made thereto by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure set forth in theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable body temperature monitoring device,comprising: a hollow shell member comprising a sensing surface and anouter surface, wherein the sensing surface and the outer surface are twoside surfaces opposite to each other, and the sensing surface isprovided with a hole; and a circuit board accommodated in the hollowshell member and comprising a first side surface corresponding inposition to the sensing surface and a second side surface correspondingin position to the outer surface, wherein the circuit board is providedwith a non-contact temperature sensor, a wireless transmission module, aprocessing unit, and a battery, and the non-contact temperature sensoris disposed at the first side surface and aligned with the hole of thesensing surface; wherein the circuit board comprises an indicator lightlocated at the second side surface and exposed out of the outer surfaceof the hollow shell member, and the processing unit is electricallyconnected to the indicator light and the non-contact temperature sensor,and configured to receive a sensing signal from the non-contacttemperature sensor to calculate a temperature sensing value, and controlthe indicator light to emit light with different colors to indicate avariation of the temperature sensing value.
 2. A wearable bodytemperature monitoring device, comprising: a hollow shell membercomprising a sensing surface and an outer surface, wherein the sensingsurface and the outer surface are two side surfaces opposite to eachother, and the sensing surface is provided with a hole; and a circuitboard accommodated in the hollow shell member and comprising a firstside surface corresponding in position to the sensing surface and asecond side surface corresponding in position to the outer surface,wherein the circuit board is provided with a non-contact temperaturesensor, a wireless transmission module, a processing unit, and abattery, and the non-contact temperature sensor is disposed at the firstside surface and aligned with the hole of the sensing surface; whereinthe processing unit is electrically connected to the wirelesstransmission module and the non-contact temperature sensor andconfigured to receive a sensing signal from the non-contact temperaturesensor to calculate a temperature sensing value, and control thewireless transmission module to transmit the temperature sensing valueto a mobile communication device.
 3. The wearable body temperaturemonitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unitrecalculates the temperature sensing value every time interval, and thetime interval is set in the processing unit by the mobile communicationdevice through the wireless transmission module.
 4. A wearable bodytemperature monitoring method, comprising: providing a hollow shellmember comprising a sensing surface and an outer surface, wherein thesensing surface and the outer surface are two side surfaces opposite toeach other, and the sensing surface is provided with a hole; providing acircuit board accommodated in the hollow shell member and comprising afirst side surface corresponding in position to the sensing surface anda second side surface corresponding in position to the outer surface,wherein the circuit board is provided with a non-contact temperaturesensor, a wireless transmission module, a processing unit, and abattery, and the non-contact temperature sensor is located at the firstside surface and aligned with the hole; and providing an indicator lightand a power switch, wherein the indicator light is disposed at thesecond side surface and exposed out of the outer surface of the hollowshell member, and the power switch is disposed at the sensing surface orthe outer surface of the hollow shell member.
 5. A wearable bodytemperature monitoring method, comprising: providing a hollow shellmember comprising a sensing surface and an outer surface, wherein thesensing surface and the outer surface are two side surfaces opposite toeach other, and the sensing surface is provided with a hole; providing acircuit board accommodated in the hollow shell member and comprising afirst side surface corresponding in position to the sensing surface anda second side surface corresponding in position to the outer surface,wherein the circuit board is provided with a non-contact temperaturesensor, a wireless transmission module, a processing unit, and abattery, and the non-contact temperature sensor is located at the firstside surface and aligned with the hole; and using the processing unit toreceive a sensing signal from the non-contact temperature sensor tocalculate a temperature sensing value, and control an indicator light toemit light with different colors to indicate a variation of thetemperature sensing value.
 6. A wearable body temperature monitoringmethod, comprising: providing a hollow shell member comprising a sensingsurface and an outer surface, wherein the sensing surface and the outersurface are two side surfaces opposite to each other, and the sensingsurface is provided with a hole; providing a circuit board accommodatedin the hollow shell member and comprising a first side surfacecorresponding in position to the sensing surface and a second sidesurface corresponding in position to the outer surface, wherein thecircuit board is provided with a non-contact temperature sensor, awireless transmission module, a processing unit, and a battery, and thenon-contact temperature sensor is located at the first side surface andaligned with the hole; and using the processing unit to receive asensing signal from the non-contact temperature sensor to calculate atemperature sensing value, and control the wireless transmission moduleto transmit the temperature sensing value to a mobile communicationdevice.
 7. The wearable body temperature monitoring method according toclaim 6, further comprising: using the processing unit to recalculatethe temperature sensing value every time interval.
 8. The wearable bodytemperature monitoring method according to claim 7, further comprising:using the mobile communication device to set the time interval in theprocessing unit through the wireless transmission module.